2007 Tour de France, Stage 11 to Stage 20

These are the profiles for the individual stages in the 2007 Tour de France, with Stage 11 on 19 July, and Stage 20 on 29 July.

Stages

Stage 11 - 2007-07-19: Marseille - Montpellier, 182.5 km:

This is the first of two transition stages between the Alps and the Pyrenees, with no climbs, and should have a mass sprint finish. The wind from the Mediterranean may play an important role and will favour initiatives taken by the fighters.

Stage 11 Result

Rank	Rider	Team	Time
1	Robert Hunter	Barloworld	3h 47'50"
2	Fabian Cancellara	Team CSC	s.t."
3	Murilo Fischer	Liquigas	s.t."
4	Filippo Pozzato	Liquigas	s.t."
5	Alessandro Ballan	Lampre-Fondital	s.t."
6	Paolo Bossoni	Lampre-Fondital	s.t."
7	Claudio Corioni	Lampre-Fondital	s.t."
8	Philippe Gilbert	Française des Jeux	s.t."
9	William Bonnet	Crédit Agricole	s.t."
10	Kim Kirchen	T-Mobile Team	s.t."

General classification after stage 11

Rank	Rider	Team	Time
1	Michael Rasmussen	Rabobank	53h 11' 45"
2	Alejandro Valverde	Caisse d'Epargne	+2' 35"
3	Iban Mayo	Saunier Duval-Prodir	+2' 39"
4	Cadel Evans	Predictor-Lotto	+2' 41"
5	Alberto Contador	Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team	+3' 08"
6	Carlos Sastre	Team CSC	+3' 39"
7	Andreas Klöden	Astana Team	+3' 50"
8	Levi Leipheimer	Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team	+3' 53"
9	Kim Kirchen	T-Mobile Team	+5' 06"
10	Mikel Astarloza	Euskaltel-Euskadi	+5' 20"

Stage 12 - 2007-07-20: Montpellier - Castres, 178.5 km:

This is another transition stage heading west to Castres, with a category 2 climb just 40 km from the finish. The terrain may offer some opportunities for the attackers but should end in a sprint at the finish line.

Stage 13 - 2007-07-21: Albi, 54 km (ITT):

This is the first individual time trial since the prologue and is relatively flat with a twisty downhill finish and will be an affair for the solo specialists.

Stage 14 - 2007-07-22: Mazamet - Plateau-de-Beille, 197 km:

The race now heads into the Pyrenees. This stage starts with a category 2 climb out of Mazamet and then follows a relatively calm route via Carcassonne, Limoux and Quillan before taking on the Port de Pailhères (17 km at 7.2%) and a very difficult finish at Plateau-de-Beille (16 km at 7.9%).

Stage 15 - 2007-07-23: Foix - Loudenvielle, 196 km:

This should be one of the major stages of the Tour, with no fewer than five major mountain passes - including the Col de Port, the Col de Portet d'Aspet (5.7 km climb at 6.9%), the Col de Menté (7.0 km climb at 8.1%), the Port de Balès (19.5 km at 6.2%), (the first time this climb has featured in the Tour), and finally the Col de Peyresourde (9.7 km climb at 7.8%) with a downhill finish in Loudenvielle.

This stage has been selected for the 2007 L'Étape du Tour, in which amateur and club riders ride over a full stage of the tour. The "Étape" will take place on 16 July.

Rest Day 2 - 2007-07-24

Stage 16 - 2007-07-25: Orthez - Gourette-Col d'Aubisque, 218.5 km:

After a rest day, the riders take in the Tour’s hardest stage, and the last chance for the climbers to make the time gains they’ll need before the final time trial. The race should split up somewhat on the brutal Port de Larrau (14.7 km climb at 8.1%), despite the fact that its summit comes just 79km into the stage. The race dips into Spain for some 50 kilometres at the summit, the fourth country visited in this year’s Tour. From there, there is little reprieve for the riders, hitting the Alto Laza and the Col de la Pierre St Martin (14.2 km climb at 5.2%) before descending to the start of the difficult, and very steep, first-category Col de Marie-Blanque (9.3 km climb at 7.4%). The riders then climb the infamous Col d'Aubisque (16.7 km climb at 7%), which will reward out-and-out climbing ability and punish the legs of all the major contenders.

Stage 17 - 2007-07-26: Pau - Castelsarrasin, 188.5 km:

The race now leaves the mountains behind and turns north towards Paris. This stage has a series of small climbs, but should give those sprinters who have survived the chance to earn some points.

Stage 18 - 2007-07-27: Cahors - Angoulême, 211 km:

This is a long stage, with a few small climbs near the start, and is the last chance for any surprises

Stage 19 - 2007-07-28: Cognac - Angoulême, 55.5 km (ITT):

This is the second time trial stage, with long straight stretches, some beautiful sections of unbending road, some slight inclines and again favours the soloists.

Stage 20 - 2007-07-29: Marcoussis - Paris Champs-Élysées, 146 km:

The grand finale, as the race enters Paris to complete the eight laps of the traditional circuit around the Champs-Élysées.